DSO Shell DSO150 Assembly Video

Recently I received this small digital storage oscilloscope called DSO Shell (DSO150) made by Chinese company called JYETech. Device is purchased as a KIT which means that some assembly at home is required before device can be used.

I must say that I am pleasantly surprised on how the device performs. It is a very handy 200kHz DSO that can be used to debug various signals up to 200kHz and 100Vpp.

Entire DIY assembly process can be seen in the video after the break. Video is not in english, but English subtitles are available!

IR light dimmer v2 published

This is a modification of my simple IR light dimmer v1 that you should also check out. Modification is mostly in hardware so that dimmer does not require both phase and neutral wires to operate. I am releasing source code for this v2 version for you to modify and have fun!

How this device works is pretty cool, it powers itself from the mains through the load (usually a light bulb but it can also be a resistive heating element). The way it turns the load ON is by short-circuiting its own power supply! You can control it with your own TV remote controller - all you need is 4 spare buttons (usually those used for Teletext so that they don't interfere with normal TV usage).

How to use a piezo transducer as a tactile switch

If you ever need a robust button for your next project you should really consider using a piezoelectric crystal as a main component. Piezo crystal has a property to generate voltage when mechanical force is applied by bending it, striking or even touching. This crystal is also used in car alarms as a vibration sensor.

In order to turn on a relay or have a transistor output to control some other electronic device, you need to build a debouncer circuit and also to prolong short bursts of impulse coming from piezo. The crystal is simply connected to a base of NPN transistor that will open when piezo generates enough voltage. This impulse if then fed into the NE555 which is in monostable configuration and it will issue a 1 second pulse after being triggered. How cool is that!

Remote RGB LED strip driver with PICBasic

If you have some RGB LED strip leftover from your previous project, do not let it go to waste. Why not building a simple three channel PWM driver with IR remote control support to power it with? It is a great weekend project that anyone can build.

This project is based on an old PIC16F84 we had lying around, three 1A transistors and an IR remote receiver. The firmware is written in PICBasic and is commented out so beginners could learn a thing or two about the way that device works. There are few firmwares available that decode: Nokia remote protocol, Sony and Philips.

Electronics of Master Clock for Slave Clocks

Big old wall clocks that were used in facilities such as schools, factories and hospitals are very appealing and will probably never go out of style. They are very durable and almost never break down due to very simple mechanism they have.

This mechanism is actually pretty simple, it is just an impulse motor (two coils) and a couple of gears - no further complications. This is a blessing and also a curse for these antique clocks because for their operation they now require something called a master clock. Master clock is an electronic device that sends pulses to these slave clocks so that they can work.

SafeDrop - a safer package delivery invention

Are days of lost packages behind us? Not really, but we might be one step closer to the solution, at least for the local-mail.

[David] managed to create a concept called SafeDrop that could be used by the postal services or local courier delivery agencies for packet delivery. This SafeDrop is actually a locked box filled with electronics that can be unlocked only by the intended packet recipient by scanning the secret barcode. Electric lock is made with servo motor and all electronics are built using the Intel Edison IoT platform.

Maybe it is a hardware overkill at this point, but it sure proves the concept.

Cool intercom addon to unlock front door

If you have an analog intercom in your apartment and feel bored every time you need to unlock the doors, this might be your next project!

It is an addition to your analog intercom which is installed in the apartment and is used to unlock the front door by entering a secret passcode. Of course, the passcode is not a traditional numerical one, it actually consists of short and long rings! To make project even more interesting and fun, the author added an audio playback option to play funny lines when wrong passcode is entered.

Croatian Arduino - Croduino by e-radionica

This time we would like to present you with a new Arduino board named Croduino, made in Croatia by e-radionica crew. This is actually a collection of Croduino boards that are fully compatible with Arduino.

One of these boards is a Croduino Basic2 which incorporates ATmega328 and CP2102 USB<->Serial converter. There is also a wearable-duino board called Damba that has Attiny85 onboard. Their latest project is ESP8266 WiFi Croduino module for your next IoT project!